![](https://d2ksr9467jthww.cloudfront.net/20231017071032/652e3943023d160baa718531jpeg.jpg)
Opioid overdose deaths among homeless people have risen dramatically: Ontario study
LONDON — A new study says people experiencing homelessness make up a growing proportion of opioid overdose deaths in Ontario.
It found that about one in six people killed by opioid overdoses in 2021 were homeless, compared to one in 14 people back in 2017.
Lead author Richard Booth of Western University says the increase is shocking and shows the importance of housing as a health and social intervention.
The researchers say a poisoned drug supply and disruptions to services during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely factors in the rise of deaths.